Downtime
by Kellifer
Summary: The team gets some welldeserved down time, even if Jack has to drag them, kicking and screaming.


Two months of downtime.

It had been an order.

Sam had started excitedly babbling about all the long-term experiments and Daniel had mentioned something about a dig he'd been planning to visit and Jack had said 'No'.

No.

Sam and Daniel had both looked at him blankly and he'd scrubbed fists into his eyes and then explained patiently that downtime meant no work whatsoever.

No goddam work.

Again, blank stares. 

Daniel had died and they'd all saved the world and so they got to have a holiday, which meant doing nothing at all. Infuriatingly, they'd argued with him and even Teal'c had objected, at a loss as to what they would do for two months if they couldn't work.

Nothing. That's the whole point.

Jack had finally relented, throwing up his hands in frustration and proposing a compromise. A month together and then a month of doing whatever else it is they wanted to do, even if it was work. He just didn't want to know about it. He arranged for a large holiday house on the beach, had rented a van and had told them all to be ready to be picked up on the twenty-seventh.

No excuses.

Six hours on the road and when they'd arrived he'd pulled the spark plugs from the van and had confiscated both Sam's and Daniel's mobile phones. He'd hidden them and had been amused to watch them hunt for them for about four days before giving up. It wouldn't matter if they found the phones because he had hidden the batteries separately.

Teal'c had given in to the whole holiday idea a lot easier. Jack had made sure to ply him with DVDs and donuts and he'd been a happy Jaffa.

It had taken both Daniel and Sam about two weeks to finally start relaxing and Jack was glad he'd made the stipulation of a month. The third week they'd actually started having fun and Jack had only caught Sam hunting half-heartedly for her phone the once.

Their last week, they'd fully immersed themselves into the Zen art of doing nothing. Jack had been relieved. It had been exhausting trying to make them actually have a holiday. A few times he'd been close to giving up and handing them back the phones. Anything to stop the bickering and complaining.  
Sam had been on the beach all day and her usually pale skin had gone a deep honey colour. She had once said that the advantage of being pale was that she was a blank canvas and would go a nice colour when tanning carefully. She was now in the kitchen, sarong draped around her and bare feet covered in sand as she made a sandwich. Jack leaned in the doorway.

"You seen Daniel or Teal'c?" He asked. Of all of them, Daniel had been the last to give in on the whole 'doing nothing' thing. He suspected as a kid, Daniel had never been allowed the luxury of goof-off time and it was hard letting go. "They're not messing with the van again are they?"

"No, they walked into town to get beer and steaks for tonight." Sam said, chewing thoughtfully. Jack stiffened. 

"There are pay phones in town." He said slowly, wondering if Daniel had finally found a way to defy him and contact the outside world.

"Yes, and streetlights and cafes and other people. Town if full of stuff." Sam was grinning, one hip leaning against the counter. "We go home in three days, I think Daniel has accepted that he's been well and truly defeated."

Later that night, Daniel was sprawled on the couch, having had three or four too many, including Teal'c's share of the beer. Jack found Sam sitting out on the deck, her feet propped up on the railing and the last of the beer in hand. They could both faintly hear the sounds of Star Wars being played from the den. After the third viewing, all three had voted that Teal'c would have to watch it by himself if he insisted on watching it over and over.

"This was a good idea," She said simply. "It's what we all needed."

Two days later and it was time to go home. Jack had woken with the sun to replace the parts of the van and had left the phones on the lounge room table. He was now back in the van and had tried to start it but it coughed once and died.

"Van won't start? Ah, that's a shame." Sam said, watching him and shielding her eyes from the sun's glare.

"Stupid thing." Jack grumped. "Give me your phone and I'll call the rental company."

"Thing about that, Sir." Sam said with a half-smile tugging the corner of her mouth upwards. "I can't find it for the life of me." 

"What do you mean? I left yours and Daniel's on the coffee table."

"Not there now." Daniel's voice drifted to them over the morning air. He had a matching half-smirk on his face to Sam's. Jack looked from Daniel to Sam and back again, mystified. Finally Teal'c emerged and he looked at him quizzically.

"I believe we may be stranded here O'Neill." Teal'c intoned gravely.

"Damn." Both Daniel and Sam snorted in unison, Sam kicking her feet in the sand dramatically for good measure. She looked at Daniel. "Beach?"

"You bet." Daniel nodded and they both headed toward the wooden walkway that led down to the shore, Daniel stopping to grab towels. Jack watched them with an open mouth.

"What gives?" Jack asked, watching their retreating backs, both identically burnished gold.

"I believe we may require more…downtime." Teal'c said simply. "You did initially advise us that we were to have two months, did you not?"

"Yes, but-"

"Very well. While in town DanielJackson and I procured more movies that do not have to be returned for the term of a week." Teal'c rubbed his hands together in almost childlike glee.

Jack was alone now, standing next to the truck by his bags.

He smiled, lifting the bags that were devoid of any contents.

He hadn't bothered packing.

"I am the master." He said, chuckling.


End file.
